Cover structure for storage batteries



Sepf- 7; 1943- c. AMBRus'rER 2,328,535

COVER STRUCTURE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES Filed June 26, 1940 Patented Sept.7, 1943 COVER STRUCTURE FOR STORAGE BATTERIES Cornelius Ambruster,Roslyn, Pa., assigner to The Electric Storage Battery Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 26,1940, Serial No. 342,435

(Cl. 13G-174)) 9 Claims.

Objects of the present invention are to provide the jar or containerwith flat inside and outside Walls so that its cost is reduced, toprovide for properly positioning an inside cover having a downward andoutward peripheral flange so that the sealing compound arranged in thechannel provided by the flange and the iiat inside face of the jar wallmay be properly applied and retained in place, to oppose disturbance ofthe sealing compound in the event of upward growth of the element orelements and generally to improve the cover construction of a storagebattery cell.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the followingdescription at the end of which the invention will be claimed.

Generally stated the invention consists in spaced supports projectingfrom and beyond the rim of the cover and resting on the top of the jarwall and having angularly disposed feet engaging the outside face of thejar wall, with or without tongue and groove elements interposed betweenthe supports and the cover and the feet and the jar wall; the coverbeing provided with an opening larger than the terminal post whichpasses through it, with or without spray-deflecting elements on the postand cover.

The invention also consists in the improvements to be presentlydescribed and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanyingdrawing forming part thereof and in which,

Figure 1 is an elevational view principally in section illustrating acover structure embodying features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a partial top or plan View of the same.

Figure 3 is a sectional View illustrating a detail of constructionuseful in shipping; and

Figure 4 is as perspective view of one of the supports.

In the drawing, a indicates the element or plate structure provided witha terminal post b and supported on ribs c at the bottom of the batteryjar. d indicates a cover downwardly and outwardly hanged at itsperiphery as indicated at e and the cover ts inside of the jar orcontainer generally indicated at f. There is nothing new about theconstruction as above indicated, and I will now proceed to describe thepresent invention. The inner face I and the outer face- 2 of the sideWall of the jar are at. They may, therefore, be produced atcomparatively little cost. The hole or opening 3 in the cover is largerthan the terminal post b which extends through it and the portion of thecover surrounding the opening 3 is dished downwardly as at 4. 5 is asupport provided with a foot 6. A number of these supports 5 in spacedrelation are attached to the cover d so as to project beyond its edgeand to rest on the top of the side wall of the jar. The feet 6 of thesupports 5 engage the outside face of the jar Wall and hold it and thecover in fixed relation. 'Ihe channel g receives sealing compound shownat the right, Fig. 1, and which is not shown at the left for the sake ofclearness, and the sealing compound is introduced into the space orchannel g in the usual way and since the supports 5 are spaced they donot interfere with its introduction. As shown the supports 5 areattached to the cover by rivets l and they are arranged in recesses aregrooves provided in pads 8 on the cover.` The feet 6 are shown arrangedas tongues'in grooveslg provided inthe outer face of the jar wall, thusavoiding any substantial increase in the outside dimension of the cell.The supports 5 may be made of lead alloy or other suitable material andthey may be made integral with the cover or attached thereto. il is anupstanding rib on the cover and it surrounds the opening 3. II is acanopy shown as mounted on the terminal post S and it is providedwith adrip skirt I2.

In use growth or movement in upward direction of the element a iswithout effect upon the cover and has no tendency to disturb the sealingcompound because the terminal post passes through an opening in thecover. larger than the post itself. Since the cover d and jar are heldagainst relative movement by the supports 5 and their feet 6, tendencyto disturb the sealing compound is opposed. It is an advantage thatthere are no capillary channels between the post and the cover throughwhich electrolyte might creep and attack the terminal post. The canopyII with its drip skirt and the rib IU serve to return liquid that mayhave escaped, for example as spray through the space 3, back into thecell.

In shipping use may be made of a tapered stopper I3 and washer'I4,Figure 3, in order to steady the element a by engaging the terminal postb, pressurebeing exerted on the stopper I3 by means of the threadedportion of the post b and canopy II. In use, however, these elements I3and I4 are removable as indicated inFigure 1. The elements I3 and I4also serve to prevent electrolyte from splashing out of the jar duringshipment.

Matter shown and described but not claimed herein is claimed in mydivisional application Ser. No. 411,669,f`1led September 20, 1941, forVent structures for storage batteries.

It will be obvious that modifications may be made in details ofconstruction and arrangement without departing from the spirit of theinvention which is not limited to such matters or otherwise than theappended claims may require. y

I claim:

1. A container structure for storage battery elements comprising an opentop jar, a cover arranged substantially flush with the top rim of thejar and having a peripheral flared depending flange adapted to fitclosely the inner surface of the jar wall to provide a sealing channeltherebetween and having a plurality of supports attached to andprojecting horizontally from the top of the cover over said channel andadapted to rest on the upper surface of the jar wall, said supportshaving downwardly turned immovable feet adapted to engage grooves in theouter surface of the jar wall, whereby lateral displacement between thecover and the jar wall is opposed.

2. In a container structure for storage batteries, including a cover anda jar into which the cover is fitted with its top surface substantiallyflush with the top edge of the jar, the combination of spaced groovesprovided in the outer face of the jar wall and open at its top edge, andspaced supports immovable in respect to and projecting from the coverflush with its top surface and beyond its edge and resting on the topwall of the jar so as to support said cover, said supports having feetconstituting tongues aligned with the grooves.

3. In a container structure for storage batteries the combination of ajar having flat inner and cuter side wall faces, a cover tted into thejai and bounded by a downwardly and outwardly extending flange providingwith the inner face of the jar wall an open channel, sealing compound inthe channel, spaced grooves provided in the outer face ofthe jar walland open at its edge, and spaced supports projecting from the topsurface of the cover beyond its edge and spanning the channel andresting on the top of the jar wall and having tongues cooperating withsaid grooves, said supports providing between them openings for theintroduction of the sealing compound.

4. In combination, in a storage battery, a jar, a plate structure, acover completely detached from the plate structure, extensions providedon the top surface of said cover adapted to engage the top edge of thejar, said extensions being spaced from each other to afford clearancefor the introduction of sealing compound between the cover and theinside surface of the jar wall, and downwardly disposed integral feet atthe outer extremity of said extensions adapted to engage the outersurface of the adjacent jar wall to hold the edge of the cover incontact with the' inner surface of the jar wall to produce a groove forreceiving said sealing compound.

. 5. A containery for a storage battery cell cornprising a jar and acover and spaced horizontally projecting supports extending from thecover to the jar wall and adapted to support said cover at the top ofthe jar, said supports being provided with end extensions adapted to fitgrooves provided in the outside surface of the jar wall to hold the jarwall up to the cover.

6. A container structure for storage battery elements comprising a jar,a cover having a peripheral flared depending flange adapted to ftclosely the inner surface of the jar wall to provide a sealing channeltherebetween, and a plurality of spaced supports attached to andprojecting horizontally from the top surface of the cover at the top ofsaid jar and allowing for introduction vof sealing compound to seal thecover to the inside of the top of the jar, said supports being providedwith end extensions engaging the outside surface of the jar wall andadapted to hold the jar in close contact with the flange of the cover.

7. A container structure for storage battery elements comprising a jar,a cover having a peripheral flared depending iiange adapted to fitclosely the inner surface of the jar wall to provide a sealing channeltherebetween, and a plurality of spaced supports attached to andprojecting horizontally from the top surface of the cover at the top ofsaid jar and adapted to support said cover at the top of said jar andallow for introduction of sealing compound to seal the cover to theinside of the to-p of the jar, said supports being provided with endextensions engaging the outside surface of the jar wall and adapted tohold the jar in close contact with the cover, said end extensions beingtongues fitting grooves provided in the outside surface of the jar wall.

8. The combination in a storage battery of an open top jar, a platestructure, and a cover unattached to the plate structure and fittinginto the top open end of the jar with its top surface substantially inline with the top rim of the jar wall and with its edge confronting theinner surfaceV of the jar wall, and provided above its top surface withextensions arranged over the top edge of the jar and unattached thereto,said extensions provided with depending feet slidably tting grooves inthe outside surface of thejar and laterally holding its upper portion incontact u with the edge of the cover and permitting of the removal andapplication of the cover by a sliding movement and without unfasteningany part of the assembly.

9. In a storage battery the combination of an l operi top jar of rubbermaterial having on the inside and outside of its wall substantially flatsurfaces and having on the outside and near the top of its wall spacedgrooves, an element supported at the bottom of the jar and having aterminal post projecting from the open end of the jar, a detachablecover of rubber material fitted into the open end of the jar andprovided with an opening larger than the post through which the postpasses with clearance between and further provided on its top surfacewith grooved pads, and metal supports attached to the top surface of thecover and arranged in the grooves in the pads and extending in line withthe top surface of the cover and having depending feet arranged but notfastened in the grooves on the outside of the jar wall whereby the coveris free to be lifted from the jar without disturbing the element or anypart of the assembly.

CORNELIUS AMBRUSTER.

CERTIFICATE OE CORRECTION. Patent NO. 2,528,555. september 7, 19kg.

CORNELIUS AMERUSTER.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificationof" the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows Page l,second column, line 18, for "are" read 'or; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with this correction therein that the same mayconform to the record of the Case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this Lith day of January, A. D. 19ml..

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

